venlafaxine withdrawal- please help!!

Hi TG,

Wish I had better news for you. I dropped from 225mg to 150mg in 4 weeks. The side effects were bad, painful headaces, tremours, dizziness, sweating, nausea, sore stomach and increased anxiety.

Like you, I am very keen to come of this awful drug and after a consultation with my Phyciatrist and despite the side effects we decided to reduce the dose to 75mg, the logic being if I have to deal with the side effects I may as well reduce.

That's been 12 weeks now and if anything the side effects are worse,I spend a lot of time in bed and am house bound. The nausea,sweating, tremours, heahaces,anxiety, poor sleep and appitite are sometimes unbearable.

I dispair some days and can only hope things get better.

Sorry no good news but be aware that you are not alone.

 

Just an update. Over 10 years  Effexor 150 mg. 6 months off now.  Been to hell and back but stayed the course. Finally just now starting to have better days and hoping the worst is over.  It's very erratic though.  Stay strong!

After questioning my need for Effexor XR, I was encouraged to increase my dosage from 150 to 225mg. My blood pressure increased significantly. I'm a healthy 34 y/o female with no history of elevated BP. So, I was left on 150mg despite protest that I didn't need it at all. DX: major depression, anxiety, ADD.. 

I decided to take matters into my own hands. I was afraid. After just missing one dose I noticed major withdrawal symptoms ; nausea, tingling fingers, lips and tongue, dizziness, visual changes, mood swings, anxiety with major agitation. 

I gave myself 75 mg for two days, then every other, then every two, but nothing prepared me for not taking any. 

I cried, I felt scared and hopeless. I had strange cravings. 

My opinion, advice and saving grace to get this awful drug out of your system :

1. A support person- someone who knows what you're doing and why. Someone you trust and can check in with daily. Provide this person with a list of common withdrawal symptoms and check in with them before making any major decisions.

2. Supplements - Omega 3-6-9. Take 1-2 a day at least. This helps your mood, energy level and decreases the brain zaps. Also a multivitamin,to help offset any cravings or metabolism changes.

3. A computer/tablet/smartphone/library- when you start to experience a symptom I.e. agitation, look up anxiety/agitation. This helped me refocus, gave me hope and a possible solution.

4. Patience. Be nice to yourself!!! This drug is powerful!!! Remind yourself daily what you are doing and why. Forgive yourself for making mistakes.

I've been clean of Effexor for almost one month (this Sunday). I still get short brain zaps. But, overall I feel great. My creativity, sense of self and personality has resurfaced. I feel more alive and less dull. 

There's hope, it takes time but its possible!!! 

I am currently tapering off venal faxing 75 mg after 9 years, with moderate withdrawal symptoms, mostly flu-like but with anxiety as well. As a nurse in the US, I was aware of what was coming.  In this country, there is a "black box warning" required by the FDA (which indicates high alert) when discontinuing or lowering the dosage of this drug provided by the manufacturer. The US medical community is highly aware of the withdrawal effects. I can't believe what I'm reading about the denial of the known symptoms when stopping or reducing this medication. It does get better. Get a tapering schedule from the doctor, which can be still difficult, but MUCH better than stopping immediately. 

I wrote about my withdrawl last week and I am already feeling much better, so hang in there and don't feel hopeless :-)

Day 3:  last night was tough. I took Benadryl but my symptoms persisted. I actually had others. It's possible things could have been worse without the Benadryl, I'll never know.

I developed flue like symptoms: chills that alternated with hot flashes; pins and needles all over my lower extremities as if the needles were poking out from under my skin; an overall feeling of heavyness; exhaustion; feverish.

I just took the Benadryl - still feel the constant buzzing and electric storminside my head. We'll see how the day goes. I will not give up! I want this drug out of my system!

 

After 7 years of taking 37.5 mg 3x's a day I've stop taking the drug for 5 days now. My insurance company is giving me such a hard time. They think they know better than my Dr. For a months supply for me without insurance would cost me $148. I refuse to pay such an astronomical amount. So, just out of spite I stopped taking the drug completely. It's now an easy task at all. My moods go from happy, to irate, to curling up in a ball and crying uncontrollably. I don't know how much more I can take. I'm a 33 year old man and this drug is bringing me to my knees.

Hello tg, 

I have been on venlafaxine since 2006, and just took my last dose Sunday (2 days ago) I got lucky, I was on a capsule, in order to get off of it, I literally took out 1 grain per day extra every day, there were approximately 120 grains, so 120 days to get off of it.  I too had severe withdrawl symptoms if I forgot a dose, "brain freeze, nausea, vomiting etc.  I am in the US and was told from the beginning if I were to come off of this drug it had to be done extremely slow.  My husband died, then a extremely close friend died just a couple of years from each other, which is why I started on it.  I did not tell my Dr that I was stopping it, I felt it was no longer helping me, I would not recommend not tellng your Dr first, it worked for me but it was still a dangerous thing to do.  Since I have been on it my weight was steady, then in 2011 I started to gain weight, and this year I realized I had gained 50 lbs.  Since I have began to get off this drug I did not gain anymore, and in the last month my cravings have stopped and within the last 2 weeks I have lost 12 lbs.  I could not control my eating, I craved all kinds of sweets that I never did before, and I felt I was tired all the time, would sleep for 10 hrs straight but it was not enough, then would take a 2-3 hour nap also.  I am still tired but I am feeling better each day, still have a small amount of side effects being off of it now but nothing like before.

I wish you luck!